


driver's license

by markssi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Relationship(s), idk how to tag pls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28768626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markssi/pseuds/markssi
Summary: jeno gets dragged into a concert where mark sing a song that sounds awfully a lot like its about him.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Mark Lee
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	driver's license

**Author's Note:**

> song [here](https://youtu.be/ZmDBbnmKpqQ)

“mark! you gotta get up there!” one of the staffs softly push him towards the stage, he faces the huge crowd cheering for him. he sits down the stool right in the middle, he waves and smiles to people as he waits for the piano to start. When the first key is pressed, he settles down and closes his eyes. he starts singing into the mic, **“i got my driver's license last week, just like we always talked about. ‘cause you were so excited for me to finally drive up to your house.”**

_“you’re getting good at this.” jeno laughs as mark slightly struggles to park jeno’s old, beat up car by his garage. “if we keep this up, you’ll be able to get your license in no time!” the engine stops and they take off their seatbelts to get off the car. “you really think so? you’re not just saying that right?” mark walks over to the boy and looks at him with those wide, sparkly eyes. “of course, a little more practice and you’re good to go!” jeno smiles and wraps his arm around the other boy’s shoulders, leading them inside the house._

_“okay! then we should practice now!”_

_“or we can eat before going again?”_

_“let’s get drive-thru or something.” mark runs back to where the car is, stopping when jeno lifts him up and puts him over his shoulder. “no driving for now! we’re gonna eat or i won’t teach you anymore!” jeno runs inside and around the house, only putting mark down when they reach the kitchen. “but my license...” mark trails off. “you’ll get that, silly. a short break won’t hurt.” he tells mark to sit down on a stool and got ingredients out, ready to cook. “i’m excited for you to get your license too you know,” mark looks up at the boy by the sink._

_“i’ll be so proud seeing you pull up to my house.” jeno says softly, mark can see the serene smile even if jeno’s back is turned against him, the smile that the other always wear when they’re together. “you should be! you’re the one who taught me.” mark walks over and wraps his arms around jeno’s waist, slightly swaying from side to side._

**“but today i drove through the suburbs, crying 'cause you weren't around.”**

_“donghyuck! i’m gonna go for a drive, don’t wait for me!” mark shouts as he puts on his shoes and grabs his keys from the table. “can i come with you?” donghyuck runs down, almost slipping and dropping his phone in the process. “no, i’d like to be left alone, goodbye.” mark opens the door. “oh, you’re gonna drive by his street and cry while eating mcdonald’s again, aren’t you?” his roommate puts his hands on his hips, leaning all his weight on one leg. “again? i don’t do that, don’t be ridiculous.”_

_but guiltily, mark does it. he orders himself a lot and drives through the neighborhood, not caring if it disturbed or woke anyone up. he cries while listening to the playlist jeno made for him. he wondered if jeno deleted the playlist mark made, he likes to believe jeno kept it. he cries until his head starts aching, though he would never admit it to donghyuck. but he still comes home to the boy sitting by the stairs, waiting with arms open and shoulders ready for his best friend to cry on._

**“and you're probably with that one boy who always made me doubt. he's so much older than me, he's everything i'm insecure about.”**

_mark walks into jeno’s house, he had told the boy that he was gong to visit and jeno said yes. so now he’s there, greeting jeno’s mother with a warm hug. “he’s upstairs with this tutor, they’re probably too focused on schoolwork that they didn’t notice the time.” she smiles as she holds onto mark’s arm and strokes his hair before letting go and shooing him away to upstairs. giggles grew louder as he comes closer, he knocks on jeno’s door waiting for a response. “come in!” he does._

_“jen?” he walks in, immediately noticing a boy sitting on his bed. “oh hey, babe! this is my tutor, mrs.kim insisted on getting me one.” jeno smiles and walks over to the older with arms open, waiting for a hug. mark hum, “i know, you’re mom did mention it.” he pulls away to greet other boy in the room. “hello, i’m mark.” the other boy smiled and got up, “nice to meet you, mark. i think i should get going. jeno, if you need any help, you where to go.” he smiles and leaves. “i never see him around.” mark looks at jeno._

_“he’s two years ahead of us so he’s in a different building.” jeno walks to his desk to clean up his desk. “he’s really pretty.” mark continues to stare at the door, an image of the older stuck on his mind. “sure he is, you’re prettier though.”_

_“not possible.”_

**“yeah, today i drove through the suburbs ‘cause how could i ever love someone else?”**

_“mark!” donghyuck screams into his ears. “what?” he screams back, already rolling his eyes. it’s very early in the morning but donghyuck seemed to be very much energetic, even though he did not sleep much last night. “you have a date today, remember? jaemin!” he takes mark’s hand and starts pulling him up. “can i not come? i just want to stay warm under my blanket.” he pulls his hand away from donghyuck’s grasp and tucks it in between his thighs. “no, get your lazy ass up. i’m gonna go pick out some clothes for you.”_

_“i don’t want to go” he whines._

_he still goes anyways. he’s now sitting in front of a jaemin that’s drinking a coffee so dark, it concerns mark. throughout the date, mark finds himself comparing this boy to jeno. he finds himself asking jaemin questions all somehow related to jeno. do you like biking? because jeno does. do you like to dance? jeno does. can you drive? jeno can. though he never actually say the jeno part, he still feels guilty that all he thinks about is jeno this, jeno that._

_when he comes home, donghyuck is waiting all excited. chanting “tell me about it” until mark says “there’s no second date, donghyuck.” mark takes of his shoes and walks straight up to the stairs. “but why? jaemin is like perfect!” donghyuck follows him up until inside his room. “then you should date him instead, you seem to like him a lot.” mark sighs, trying to close the door on donghyuck. “no! he’s for you!”_

_“no he’s not! he’s just not someone i’m exactly looking for.”_

_“of course, you’re looking for jeno.” he rolls his eyes and leaves the older boy alone._

_donghyuck ended up going on a date with jaemin._

**”and i know we weren't perfect, but i've never felt this way for no one and i just can't imagine how you could be so okay now that i'm gone.”**

_“hey, mark?” jaemin says as he gives him his ice cream. “do me a favor and don’t look behind you, okay?” he sits down next to donghyuck who peeks behind mark’s back, seeing jeno with a man. “oh.” mark’s face scrunches up before trying to peek, earning a slightly hard slap from donghyuck. “that’s jaemin’s old enemy! don’t look or they’ll notice.” he looks down and starts eating his ice cream instead. giving each other a questioning look when he saw them slightly panicked._

_he sighs, “honestly, what is it?” mark looks back to see what the two other boys are hiding. his face falls before turning around and chucking lightly. “you don’t have to hide that from me, it’s okay guys.”_

**“i guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me. 'cause you said forever, now i drive alone past your street.”** he opens his eyes, not wanting to remember all the other memories that would make him cry. he looks through the crowd, seeing some tearing up. it’s nice to think about, there are people hurting for and with him, it makes him feel like he’s not alone. but everything halted when he locks eyes with a boy not far from the front seats. he looks away quickly, not wanting to believe who he say. the boy with the serene smile, now wearing a crestfallen expression. 

**“red lights, stop signs, i still see your face in the white cars, front yards. can't drive past the places we used to go to 'cause i still fucking love you, babe.”** he shuts his eyes, letting the tears go, silently sobbing when he pulls away from the mic. he opens his eyes once again, gaze falling to the same boy he saw not long ago. **“sidewalks we crossed, i still hear your voice in the traffic, we're laughing over all the noise. god, i'm so blue, know we're through but i still fucking love you, babe.“** he stares at him, never looking away.

**“i know we weren’t perfect but i’ve never felt this way for no one.”**

only doing so when he notices the boy beside jeno, holding on to his hands and leaning on his shoulder. **“i just can't imagine how you could be so okay now that i'm gone.”** he looks away bitterly, **“i guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me,”** he wipes his tears away, and weakly smiles. **“'cause you said forever, now i drive alone past your street.”** he muters a small thank you before walking out to the backstage, going straight to where donghyuck is.

“i saw it too.” the boy said before pulling an already sobbing mark into his embrace. “it’s okay, mark. it’ll be okay.”

since then, jeno sits at the curb until 11pm in hopes to see mark’s car drive by, the playlist mark made him playing in his earphones. sometimes he lays on the grass with their cat, now just his, like they used to. “you have to come to him if he doesn’t come to you, you know.” someone sits next to his lying body. “hey...” he sits up, looking guiltily at the boy. “it’s okay, i understand. i mean, it’s mark lee! we both know i can’t compete.” the boy chuckles and ruffles jeno’s hair. “i’ll be fine, jeno. i’ll find someone.” 

“you deserve so much more, i’m so sorry.”

“go fix things with mark, yeah? then maybe i’ll forgive you.” he laughs and pushes the boy away, showing him a smile. “thank you.” he whispers hugging the boy, “as long as you’re happy.” the boy lets go and watches jeno stand up and run to the same beat up car from years ago. “do you need a ride home?” he looks out the window to see the boy handing him his cat. “it’s okay, i can just walk back.” jeno just nods and takes the cat. 

and with that, jeno drives away to a place he once made his home; to a person that was once his home. hoping to get it all back.

**Author's Note:**

> [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/markssi)
> 
> i never said who the other boy was because i honestly don't know who to put bye


End file.
